Growing up, Sharyn Baker had many interests. Among them: music, science ñ and dogs. The latter has become her lifeís passion.ìI love dogs. My dogs are my life,î Baker said. ìIím a fanatic about German shepherds. And Iím a fanatic about responsible dog ownership.î Baker said German shepherds are one of the most intelligent breeds of dogs. ìThey are good trackers. Theyíre loyal. Theyíre just terrific dogs,î she added.Baker was born in Mesa, Ariz., but grew up in Southern California near San Diego. ìI did not have dogs when I was a kid, and I always wanted a German shepherd,î she said.Coming from what she described as a ëbroken home,í Baker found solace in many of her school teachers. ìI have a lot to repay to my early teachers,î she said. ìWithout school teachers, I would have been lost. But fortunately I made it, and a lot of kids in my situation would not have made it.î In 1965, she graduated from Granite Hills High School in El Cajon, Calif., and continued her education at Grossmont Community College.Before graduating from Grossmont in 1967 with an associate of arts degree, Baker said she was approached by one of the schoolís counselors with an extraordinary opportunity. ìThe counselor suggested that I go to Occidental College,î she said. ìThe only thing I knew about Occidental College is that it had one of the finest choral music programs in the country. I also knew it was a private school and pretty expensive.îAfter filling out an application, Baker said the counselor returned with another surprise. She said, ìHe said, ëGet your coat we are going to Los Angeles today. We are taking you up to Occidental College for an entrance interview.íîA few weeks later, Baker said she received a letter of acceptance to Occidental. She was thrilled, but concerned about the cost of tuition. ìI called the registrar and said, ëThis is really wonderful, but I canít come because I canít afford the tuition,íî she said. The collegeís registrar said the financial situation was ìtaken care of.î Two weeks later, Baker received another letter stating she had received a full scholarship.ìWhen people say to me, ëWhat was one of the most important things in your life,í I would have to say it was that opportunity,î she said. ìIt opened doors and gave me a fantastic education.î In 1969, Baker graduated from Occidental College.In her senior year at Occidental, Baker applied for the Thomas J. Watson fellowship and was one of 35 students in the country selected for the $6,000 fellowship, which provided open-ended opportunities.Baker went to Europe to study conducting in Vienna.During her interview for the scholarship, Baker said her frayed nerves were put back together when she noticed a hole in the bottom of the interviewerís shoes. ìI thought this guy must not be so important Ö he has a hole in the bottom of his shoe,î she said.After spending a year in Vienna, Baker was accepted as a graduate assistant at the University of Colorado ñ Boulder doctoral program.Baker was almost finished with her doctorate when she decided to go to paramedic school. One of her dreams was becoming a doctor. ìI walked away and went to paramedic school,î she said. ìI didnít finish (my doctorate), and it is one of the few things I regret.îHowever, she has two masterís degrees: music and environmental science. She received her first one in 1975 from the University of Colorado ñ Boulder before she moved on to teaching music.Baker worked as a paramedic and at the University of Colorado Health Sciences in Denver.After nine years she was laid off, and again she switched gears to pursue another passion: dogs. ìI have many passions but figured I would spend more time on one.îIn 1997, Baker opened Colorado German Shepherd Rescue in the Conifer, Colo.Baker wanted to be involved in more than dog rescue. ìI decided I would just find a place, build a kennel and board and train dogs,î she said. After a statewide search for land, Baker purchased 40 acres in Falcon. The land had been previously zoned for kennels. In March 2004, Baker started building her current facility: Colorado K-9 Acres. She opened in July the same year.Although she has an affinity for German shepherds and has been caring for them for almost 10 years, she said she boards and trains any breed of dog. Baker has 23 German shepherds. ìI would give up these dogs if I could no longer take care of them,î she said. ìBut thatís not going to happen Ö at least not any time soon.îMore on Sharyn BakerWhat do you like most about Colorado?At one point you can have three days of horrible weather and then a crisp beautiful blue sky the next. I also love the open spaces.What is your favorite sports team, favorite author, or favorite movie(s)?I like the Rockies and the Broncos. And right now Iím currently reading Guns, Germs and Steel by Jarod Diamond. My favorite movies are E.T., Henry V, and The Birdcage. I love Robin Williams. I think he is hilarious.Who is someone you admire, or what inspires you?What inspires me are people who are honest and ethical. and there are very few of those.What is one of your favorite memories?When I went fishing for trout with my dog up at the Barker Reservoir by Boulder. Every time I set the hook to catch a fish, my dog would swim out and grab the fish. There was an older Asian guy who was fishing a little ways down from me and wasnít having much luck. Finally, he came over and said, ìYour dog have license to fish?î Before I left, I gave him all the fish I caught that day.
